This week: new evidence points to one of the most hardware-packed WWDCs in years! Add in four new OS reveals and, by golly, you have one heckuva exciting show. We’ll tell you all we know, and share all the products we predict will hit the stage.

It’s been over a year since Apple has updated its the portable 12-inch MacBook. Now would be a good time.

MacBook Air

Bloomberg reported earlier in May that Apple is “considering” updating the MacBook Pro with a newer processor because sales of the machine have continued to be “surprisingly strong.” Who knows what processor it’ll get or what (if any ) other upgrades (like as USB-C or a new display) might be included.

iMac, Mac Pro, and Mac mini

Apple announced earlier this year that they are hard at work on new pro-level desktop machines, but don’t expect to see anything at WWDC. The company made it clear that the new Mac Pro is in the works, but they also gave a spec bump to the current line.

It is possible we may see an announcement about the pro-level iMacs they talked about, especially considering it hasn’t been updated since Oct. 2015! Maybe we’ll get some Kaby lake chips.

If Apple does announce the speaker at WWDC don’t expect it to be available immediately. The report claims that units won’t ship until later this year, giving devs plenty of time to integrate their applications with it.

Apple has registered a bunch of new products with the Eurasian Economic Commission ahead of WWDC next week.

Its filings hint at the imminent arrival of new Macs, iPads, and a refreshed Magic Keyboard.

The company has registered five new Macs with the EEC

Another four model numbers are associated with iOS 10, which likely ties them to new iPad Pros. Possibly also the 10.5-inch model

Finally, there’s a model number that points to a wireless keyboard. It’s been well over 19 months since Apple introduced the original Magic Keyboard, so we could well see a refreshed model with some minor improvements under the hood.

Rumors that the iPhone 8 may come with a $1,000 price tag are seemingly backed-up by a new report claiming that components for the next-gen handset will be considerably higher than those for its predecessor.

According to China’s Economic Daily News, the 3D Touch module alone for the iPhone 8 will cost 150 percent more than the comparable module for the current LCD iPhone.

As per a recent report from Goldman Sachs analyst Simona Jankowski, the 128GB iPhone 8 will sell for $999, while the 256GB version will set users back a whopping $1,099. This means that the iPhone 8 could represent a significant 25 percent price jump from the iPhone 7.

Every manufacturer that uses it has to pay royalties to Intel, which means you typically find it exclusively in expensive, high-end machines.

Intel has confirmed plans to drop Thunderbolt royalties in an effort to boost adoption. The chip-maker also plans to integrate Thunderbolt 3 into its own processors starting next year, eliminating the need for a dedicated controller.

Thunderbolt has become the ultimate standard for connecting peripherals to your computer, thanks to its incredibly high bandwidth and versatility. Thunderbolt 3’s 40Gbps speeds let you transfer a full 4K movie in just 30 seconds.

USB 3 is only 10GBPS!

Control IKEA Home Smart products with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple’s Home app

During the summer and early fall, IKEA will be adding functionality to its smart lighting range by enabling people to voice control their lighting with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant and to set up and adjust lighting using Apple’s Home app and Siri voice commands. This takes IKEA one step closer to making smart home technology accessible for the many.

DJI unveiled the new Spark drone at an event in NYC this morning where the tiny flying camera impressed watchers with some innovative new features like the ability to be controlled without using a remote.

The Spark packs a 1/2.3” CMOS sensor that captures 12 megapixel photos and shoots stabilized HD 1080p videos so you can get super smooth shots. It also comes with new shooting modes you won’t find yet on the Mavic or Phantom 4: Pano and ShallowFocus.

Flight time on the Spark is around 16 minutes per battery with a range of 1.2 miles. Pricing for the basic kit starts at $499, or you can get the Fly More bundle with two batteries, extra propellers and prop guards and a carrying case for $699.

This week: new MacBook Pros at WWDC? Insiders say yes! We’ll tell you all we know. Plus: why future Macs are about to get much faster CPUs; Apple makes a big move to bring manufacturing back to the US; and we’ll wrap up with 5 weird and whacky facts about the new Apple Park campus.

Apple hasn’t released new hardware at a WWDC keynote since 2013, but the company is allegedly planning to unveil a new lineup of MacBooks, according to a report that claims the new machines will pack Intel’s new Kaby Lake processor to bring more speed than ever.

Three new laptops will debut at WWDC 2017, claims Bloomberg, citing “people familiar with the matter.” Both the MacBook Pro and 12-inch MacBook will be updated with new Intel chips.

Apple is also supposedly considering updating the 13-inch MacBook Air with a new processor, too, which would be quite a surprise as most observers assumed the machine was on its last legs now that the MacBook and MacBook Pro are thinner. Sales of the old MacBook Air remain “surprisingly strong” due to its cheap price tag, claims one of the report’s sources.

What features needed to make the machine exciting again

Shows Apple may be getting about making Mac great again.

Intel: Cannonlake CPUs will be more than 15 percent faster than Kaby Lake

Chipmakers in past years focused on increasing performance by raising the clock frequency. But that made chips power hungry, and their focus shifted to adding cores, which boosted performance but also added battery life to laptops. Then the focus turned to integrating technologies like graphics and I/O buses inside processors. Gaming and virtual reality have brought a focus back to raw CPU performance.

The performance improvements from Skylake to Kaby Lake topped out at 15 percent. The CPU performance boost for Cannonlake should be at least that, Intel said.

The gaming market is exploding, especially eSports, and demand for high-performance Core i7 chips skyrocketed last year

Intel may be trying to catch up with AMD, which is boasting a 40 percent performance improvement for its upcoming Ryzen chips.

In a note to clients over the weekend, Kuo suggested that the Siri home speaker will have a “touch panel,” although it’s not known whether this will be a full-on screen or a simpler touch-based interface of some sort.

Apple gives $200 million to iPhone glassmaker to promote U.S. manufacturing

You may have heard that Tim Cook recently announced a $1 billion Advanced Manufacturing Fund in an interview with Mad Money’s Jim Cramer at Apple Campus, he said the goal was to push “people to do advanced manufacturing in the United States.”

Rather than pulling from its enormous pile of overseas cash, Apple is borrowing the money for its $1 billion fund since that is cheaper than paying to repatriate its foreign money pile.

Apple has awarded Corning the first grant of its $1 billion investment aimed at boosting high-tech manufacturing jobs in the United States. The glassmaker will receive $200 million.

Apple’s contribution is part of its “Advanced Manufacturing Fund” will support Corning’s R&D, capital equipment needs, and state-of-the-art glass processing.

Apple recently purchased Beddit, a sleep monitoring system that pairs a pliable under-sheet sleep sensor with an app, all of which is designed to help users analyze and improve their sleeping habits.

Apple's Beddit purchase came to light because Beddit updated its privacy policy to both highlight the acquisition and implement Apple's privacy rules. "Your personal data will be collected, used and disclosed in accordance with the Apple Privacy Policy," reads the site.

Ask Alexa to show you the front door or monitor the baby's room with compatible cameras from Ring and Arlo. Turn on lights, control thermostats and more with WeMo, Philips Hue, ecobee, and other compatible smart home devices.

Kuo said Apple's smart home product will likely launch in the second half of 2017 and cost more than the Amazon Echo, $179. The device will supposedly support AirPlay with "excellent acoustics performance" from one woofer and seven tweeters. Kuo said its performance will be similar to the iPhone 6/6s.

Last week, leaker Sonny Dickson likewise said Apple's smart speaker could be announced as early as WWDC. He said the device will run a variation of iOS with unspecified Beats technology, in addition to a Mac Pro-like concave top with built-in controls and speaker meshing covering the majority of its surface.

A report from The Information said Apple's smart home speaker would be able to control appliances, locks, lights, and curtains through Siri voice commands. It added that some of the prototypes in testing have facial recognition sensors

AirPods are the most beloved product Apple has launched in years, based on a new survey that found an astonishing percentage of AirPod owners are extremely satisfied.

In a newly published study conducted by Creative Strategies and Experian, a total of 98 percent of AirPod owners said they are either “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with Apple’s new wireless buds. Over 80 percent of customers said they are very satisfied.

Apple CEO Tim Cook set Twitter ablaze with speculation today — and all it took was a simple smiley face emoji.

Cook sent out a tweet with just a smiley face emoji this morning. No other context was provided, and the tweet got deleted shortly later, leading Apple fans on Twitter to wonder what the most powerful man in tech was really trying to say.

Apple analyst KGI Ming-Chi Kuo is reporting that mass production of the OLED iPhone will likely be pushed back to October/November, instead of the normal August/September timeframe because suppliers are having difficulties producing several of the phone’s cutting edge custom-ordered parts.

The moderately reliable Makotakara is reporting that device is also claiming the phone will be delayed, and that the OLED upgrade we’ve been looking forward to isn’t a sure thing yet.

At this week’s annual National Association of Broadcasters conference, Apple revealed that it now has 2 million users of its Final Cut Pro X video-editing software, five years after launching the tenth version of the program.

At $299 for a license, that’s a cool 600 million dollars.

Apple’s rep added that it is taken considerably less time for Apple to jump for 1 million to 2 million users than it did for the company to reach its first million adopters.

Angela Ahrendts was hired as Apple’s VP of retail just about 3.5 years ago, and she’s now unveiling her vision for the future of the Apple store.

Apple wants to make their stores to be a place where you can engage with your devices and your communities. A place to meet your friends, like at Starbucks! says VP of Retail Angela Ahrendts.

Apple is bringing new “hands on” sessions to its stores, enlisting artists, Mac experts and celebrities in a bid to make its retail outlets more engaging.

The new Today at Apple initiative will launch next month in Apple stores everywhere. The initiative includes free hands-on sessions that will span more than 60 sessions in creative skills, including photography, coding and music creation. Classes will range from basic “how to” lessons to professional-level programs.

"Amazon’s investing in stores, Google’s investing in stores. Starbucks has figured it out. You know, be a gathering place. Meet me at Starbucks. And I’ve told the teams, I’ll know we’ve done a really really great job if the next generation, if gen Z says, meet me at Apple. Did you see what’s going on at Apple today?”

Forget self-driving cars. A startup backed by Google co-founder Larry Page is aiming to reshape transportation by giving us flying cars, and the company finally gave the internet a teaser today.

Kitty Hawk posted the first video of its all-electric aircraft today. The vehicle is only designed to fly over water, but the company says you won’t even need a pilot’s license to fly it.

The Kitty Hawk Flyer will supposedly go on sale by the end of 2017. Pricing details won’t be revealed until later in the year, but you can get in line to purchase one by signing up for a three-year Kitty Hawk membership for $100.

Members also get a $2,000 discount on the Flyer as well as some exclusive access to a flight simulator. We’re assuming that’s so you don’t wreck it on your first flight.

In its report on the new iPhone 8, Bloomberg corroborates many previous rumors about the next-gen iPhone, but suggests that more “ambitious” features may be scaled back or ditched due to manufacturing problems.

According to the report, and as we’ve discussed on the show, Apple is preparing three iPhones for launch. Two will simply be updated versions of the current iPhone, while the high-end model will sport a totally revamped look.

Apple is testing a premium version with a screen that covers almost the entire front of the device. That results in a display slightly larger than that of an iPhone y Pus but with an overall phone size closer to the iPhone 7.

The updated lower-end model iPhones will stick with LCD displays and get fewer hardware updates.

"One of the latest prototype designs includes symmetrical, slightly curved glass on the front and the back. The curves are similar in shape to those on the front of the iPhone 7. The new OLED screen itself is flat, while the cover glass curves into a steel frame. The design is similar conceptually to the iPhone 4 from 2010”

"Apple also tested a more ambitious prototype with the same slightly curved front and steel frame, but a glass back with more dramatic curves on the top and bottom like the original iPhone design from 2007, one of the people said. “

"Apple suppliers have so far struggled to reliably produce heavily curved glass in mass quantities, so the company is more likely to ship the version with more subdued curves”

"Significant camera changes are also in testing for Apple’s overhauled iPhone. For the back of the phone, Apple is testing versions of the phone with the dual-camera system positioned vertically, instead of horizontally like on the iPhone 7 Plus, which could result in improved photos,”

“Apple has … experimented with integrating the iPhone’s fingerprint scanner into the screen of the OLED version, which would be technically challenging, the people said”. TouchID on the back?

A new photo from leaker Sonny Dickson of what is believed to be iPhone 8 schematics reveals a surprising new design direction.

Apple appears to have done away with the smooth curves we’ve come to expect from its smartphones in recent years, opting instead for sharper edges and flat sides. This image suggests the next iPhone will be much like the iPhone 5, only bigger.

The shell seen in the photo above carries the same flat sides as the iPhone 5, with what appear to be chamfered edges. Cutouts for two rear-facing cameras get stacked one on top of the other, near the trademark Apple logo and a rear-facing Touch ID button.

It looks like the frame shown in the leaked iPhone 8 schematics was designed to hold flat glass, not a curved display like those used by Samsung.

It’s April 12, 1976: Apple’s third co-founder, a former Atari colleague of Steve Wozniak’s named Ron Wayne, is cashing in his 10% of Apple shares for $800.

Hell of a nice guy.

Drew Apple’s original logo.

Wayne also wrote up the first contract in Apple’s history, solidifying what all three co-founders would do. Wozniak was to be in charge of electrical engineering, Jobs was responsible for marketing, and Wayne would oversee mechanical engineering and documentation.

“I was 40 and these kids were in their 20s,” Wayne told Cult of Mac, referring to Wozniak and Steve Jobs. “They were whirlwinds — it was like having a tiger by the tail. If I had stayed with Apple I probably would have wound up the richest man in the cemetery.”

“He was a very focused fellow,” Wayne told me. “You never wanted to be between him and where he wanted to go, or you’d find footprints on your forehead. To put it simply, if you had your choice between Steve Jobs and an ice cube, you’d nuzzle up to the ice cube for warmth. But that’s what it took for him to turn Apple into what it became.”

When asked about passing on Apple, he said: Just pick yourself up and move on. I didn’t want to waste my tomorrows bemoaning my yesterdays.

Today, Ronald Wayne resides in a $150,000 house in Pahrump, Nevada, a unincorporated town about 16 miles west of Las Vegas. Aged 80, he lives on his Social Security checks and money made selling rare coins and stamps over the Internet.

A (somewhat sketchy) new report claims that the tenth anniversary iPhone, commonly referred to as the iPhone 8, will instead by called the iPhone Edition.

In addition, it suggests that the major form factor redesign that’s been reported on may turn out to be less drastic than some are imagining — although changes will include features like a rear-mounted Touch ID sensor.

According to the report, which is accompanied by renders showing the design, the iPhone Edition won’t feature a Touch ID sensor embedded beneath the display, but rather a fingerprint scanner on the rear of the device.

It also won’t come with the glass back plate, but will instead stick to having a metal back plate as the result of glass’ tendency to shatter when dropped

A couple of news outlets are flipping their lid over the news that Apple has filed a new worldwide trademark for the word “PowerBook,” the name of Apple’s pre-MacBook laptop series, which ran from 1991 until 2006.

In fact, a lot of Apple’s trademarks are about stopping its assets falling into other company’s hands — as happened when rival watchmaker Swatch decided to trademark Steve Jobs’ iconic “One more thing” catchphrase, shortly after Apple began competing with it in the watch business.

This isn’t the first time Apple has had people try to pilfer its well-known “One more thing” phrase. At the launch of Apple ripoff artist Xiaomi’ Mi 4 smartphone, CEO Lei Jun “borrowed” Apple’s tagline while also wearing a black top and blue jeans.

The trademark was registered in Germany in May, but was granted in 2015.

It was originally a quotation by Jobs of Peter Falk’s Columbo character

one of the first Macs to be designed by Jony Ive, and it paved the way for the vertical design of computer that forms today's iMacIt looked like a movie prop. The beautiful machine every 90s CEO would covet.

April 1, 1996 marked 20 years since the day that Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne came together to form Apple Computer, and they decided to release the 20th Anniversary Mac to celebrate this momentous occasion.

It featured a a TV/FM tuner, an S-Video input card, and a custom-made Bose sound system including two "Jewel” speakers, and a subwoofer built into the externally located power supply "base unit”.

Upon unveiling, the TAM was predicted to cost US$9,000, which would include a direct-to-door concierge delivery service. At release the price was reduced to $7,499. Problem was, it similar performance as the PowerMac 6500, a machine costing just $2,999.

In the middle of its sales' lifespan Apple dropped the price further to around US$3,500, and finally upon discontinuation in March 1998 the price was set to US$1,995. Customers who paid full price for the TAM, and then complained to Apple when the price was so drastically cut, were offered a free high-end Powerbook as compensation.

TimeBand

It's hard to imagine, but there was actually a time when the Apple freely shared its concepts with the world. In 1991, under the leadership of John Scully, Apple shared a bunch of design concepts with a Japanese magazine called Axis.

One of the strange products included in the spread was a wearable wrist computer called TimeBand.